My mother is indeed quick-witted; when asked this question, her expression didn't change at all. She responded with a calm smile, which shows the composure and confidence of an old artist.
"No, this girl is not my child."
"Then who is she...?"
"Oh, she's my new daughter. I brought her home during summer vacation. Isn't she adorable?"
As she spoke, Su Juan rubbed Xia Lian's cheek and whispered something in her ear. The next second, Xia Lian pulled out of the embrace, walked obediently to the older woman's side, and raised her clear eyes to greet her crisply.
"Hello, Aunt Liu."
"Hey, hello, hello."
The soft, gentle greeting from Aunt Liu made her feel comfortable. She didn't know whether to stand or sit, so she had to quickly respond, praising the girl for being well-behaved and sensible.
"This girl is so pretty, she looks like a movie star!"
"Yes, other people who see her say she's pretty, haha."
Fortunately, they were all from both inside and outside the village, so they didn't ask too many questions. They left after chatting for a few minutes, but the news will probably spread throughout the village like bacteria.
"It seems that Lianbao's existence will soon be known throughout the village." Wen Mo put down his phone and shook his head as he watched Aunt Liu's departing figure.
The village's intelligence network is managed by the older generation.
If you accidentally do something wrong and one of the older women finds out, you're in big trouble.
These characters are like NPCs that spawn regularly, sitting at the village entrance chatting, and watching every person who passes by like a surveillance camera.
If you come back alone, then congratulations, the aunties will be gossiping about you behind your back.
If the two of you come back, then congratulations! The older women will be gossiping about your wife behind your back.
"Hmm—we'll find out sooner or later, we're all family." Su Juan seemed quite open-minded, not nervous at all.
"You seem quite comfortable; it's me and her who are the ones who should be cricketed."
"What are you afraid of? Your mom has never lost an argument."
"...I don't even know how to evaluate this, whether it's a good thing or a bad thing."
Wen Mo scratched his head, sighed softly, and then pulled Xia Lian towards the gate.
Su Juan was taken aback and called out, "Where are you two going?"
"Go to the village store to gather information and buy something to eat while you're at it."
Wen Mo waved goodbye and took Xia Lian's hand as they walked along the familiar path.
I used to go back to my hometown to play during summer vacation, but in the past two years, as I've grown up, I go back to my hometown less often, and I usually stay at home to play during summer vacation.
"I remember when I was a kid, I accidentally fell into a field while walking on this road and got covered in mud. Then my grandpa chased me with a bamboo stick and beat me, haha."
Wenmo pointed to the field on one side. It was already winter, and there were hardly any seedlings to be seen. The mud on it was no longer moist and looked hard.
There were many familiar faces on the road, most of whom he recognized, but he couldn't recall their names. He frowned and looked at them for a long time before he could only call them by names like "uncle" or "aunt."
On the other hand, Xia Lian had been crowding behind him since the beginning, her head buried like an ostrich, as if afraid of being noticed.
"Why are you so scared? The villagers are very friendly and won't hit you."
Wen Mo helplessly straightened her head until her pretty, delicate face was revealed, but the shyness in her eyes still lingered.
The village entrance is always the busiest place. Passing through there is like being subjected to the scrutiny of the entire village's intelligence network. Walking around there is no different from being stripped naked and exposed.
Even a dog passing by gets chided by a cricket for asking why it needs to eat "Oli Gei" (a popular internet slang term for something delicious).
Xia Lian was naturally shy, especially since she was in an unfamiliar place. She peeked out from behind Wen Mo like a little rabbit, pursing her lips timidly.
"Don't worry, we'll have to introduce you to them sooner or later. Our family has another member."
To be honest, Wenmer was also quite scared, but he still forced himself to remain calm and stepped forward.
The village store is always crowded, especially during the Spring Festival. Children and adults gather there, the adults chat and joke, the children buy what they like, and you can often hear the aunties sitting by the roadside eating sunflower seeds and chatting.
"Huh? Who's that lady? She's so pretty!"
"I don't think I've ever seen her before."
"Hey, hey, never mind that, look, it's Brother Mo back!"
The first to notice the two were a group of kids who were playing cards on the side. They were running around in their down jackets without feeling cold, and they all came up to them with smiles.
Wenmo was quite famous among the village kids. He was smart and almost always won at whatever game they played. Following him meant you'd get to eat meat.
In addition, he has a handsome face and an inexplicable charm that makes children love to play with him.
"Little Monkey and Big Hair, what are you guys doing hiding here?"
Wen Mo casually patted the heads of the two children in the lead. When he saw their faces, he began to recall the days when they played together. He couldn't help but sigh, "Have you grown taller? You used to be so tiny, and now you're almost up to my waist."
"Hehe, we've all been eating well, of course we'll grow taller!"
"Yeah, yeah, by the way, when did you get back, Brother Mo? How long are you staying this time? Want to hang out with us?"
The younger brother's first concern was, as expected, whether they could play together, while the slightly more mature older sister focused her attention on Xia Lian, who was standing next to Wen Mo.
"This lady is so pretty."
"Yes, yes, her skin is so fair, and her face is so pretty."
As the saying goes, to catch the thief, you must first catch the king. Although these little brats may not be the boss, they can at least give their parents some information and lay a good foundation for Lianbao's initial impression.
"This is my younger sister. You can just call her Sister Xiaolian."
"Oh, hello Sister Xiaolian~"
Being just a child, he didn't care at all why Wenmo suddenly had a younger sister; he preferred the pretty older sister.
Wen Mo looked at the large group of children in front of him and nodded with satisfaction. After noticing that the adults around him were all looking this way, he also played with the children very comfortably, holding Xia Lian by his side.
"It's definitely beneficial to build good relationships with kids. Try talking to those little girls first," Wen Mo whispered, patting her back with a smile. Then he went to the convenience store with his friends to buy snacks.
Xia Lian was a little nervous, her fists clenched and her whole body stiffened. She didn't say anything, just stared at the young women standing beside her, who were looking her over.
"Sister, you're so beautiful!"
After a while, a little girl with a missing front tooth burst out laughing first, pulling Xia Lian along and jumping around. No matter how you looked at her, you couldn't get enough of her.
"It's just... I don't smile much."
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